


The Story of Katsu - Book I

by EnchantedMobster



Series: The Story of Katsu - Book I [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Gen, Original Character - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, Zuko joins sooner, Zutara, a new OC, slowburn Zutara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnchantedMobster/pseuds/EnchantedMobster
Summary: When young adventurer and archer Katsu Moto began his journey across the vast lands and coasts of the Earth Kingdom, he expected and hoped to see great sights, cities, and experience travels that would be unlike anything before. He never imagined that somehow he'd end up being arrested, befriending, and joining the Avatar and his friends on a quest to save the whole world!
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar)
Series: The Story of Katsu - Book I [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913662
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	1. Omashu

**Omashu**

It was late afternoon in the city of Omashu. The city was bustling, majestic and so orderly at the same time. Here on this mountain, young Katsu smiled in awe as he looked around the scenery before him. From where he stood in the market square, he saw miles and miles of carts shipping their contents up and down intricately crafted stone slopes, whilst customers, shop keepers, merchants, and artisans hustled and sold all over the square.

The sun was shining and the skies were clear, yet a gentle spring breeze rustled the air, keeping it cool. Katsu had been to all sorts of Earth Kingdom towns and even various Fire Nation colonies, yet nothing could even compare to the clean yet quaint urban atmosphere that surrounded this place.

He looked around before he then peered at his reflection in a merchant's selling glass. He took a swipe at his medium, but wavy brushed hair that scraped his eyes, then he dusted off his newly bought dark green tunic and brown trousers while he pulled on the strap adorning the long oak bow and quiver on his back.

He had always wanted to come and stop to visit Omashu, when he did - he was fortunate to bring back some skinned hog meat to sell at the local market. It wasn't much but the copper and occasional silver piece added up and helped pay for whatever he might need on the road. Other than that, he was used to sleeping, eating, and living throughout the wild - it didn't bother him very much, save for the bugs occasionally that crawled along while he slept.

As he walked away, he was thinking about his travels - he had originally started out not too far from the Pohai stronghold, meandered his way past countless villages, towns, and ports and he was originally planning to go to Omashu and then Gaoling - he was dying to watch the next Earth Rumble and finally see the legendary champ the Blind Bandit in person.

That being said, the various Earth Kingdom towns, ruins, and occasional Fire Nation towns provided such interesting and contrasting experiences, especially considering his background. Shaking his head, he walked off further into the market and stopped by some eccentric merchant who was…..stroking a cabbage?

He was about to move on when he suddenly turned around and heard a loud crashing noise, followed by a loud voice shouting "Sorry!"

He squinted to see a messenger cart burst through a wall, the young man wondering what on Earth was making it go so fast when all of a sudden his eyes widened as he finally registered the cart speeding down rapidly was actually heading directly for his face.

Panting, he ducked to run, but it was too late. A mere second later, he heard a giant crash and was pushed into the strange merchant's cabbage stand and flung backward with 3 strange bodies lumping over top of him, Katus letting out a loud wheezing noise as he was pressed into the dirt.

"My cabbages!" The strange merchant wailed behind the cluster of young teens, Katsu peering behind him to see the strange old man weeping into his hands before he glared intensely at the group,

"You're all gonna pay for this!"

" _All?_ Wait, wait-" Katsu wheezed out, trying to explain that he wasn't part of the original group, but having three people sitting on him wasn't exactly making it easy for him to speak quickly and clearly.

He quickly swallowed his thoughts as he locked eyes with the Omashu guards quickly approaching, firm expressions on their faces and his chance of escaping his mistaken fate quickly dwindling.

"Uh… Two cabbages, please?" The short bald monk sitting at the top of the pile jokes, looking at the Omashu guards with his best attempt at a smile. His attempt at humor is met with the same blank expression from before, Katsu internally congratulating the young boy for at least trying.

* * *

* * *

The guards grip their shoulders harshly, forcing them to their feet as they begin to move them toward wherever it is that they'll be judged. Katsu feels himself internally begin to panic, not having ever encountered law enforcement in such a way.

His whole life he'd been a fairly upstanding citizen and now all of that was messed up because of some random group of pranksters. He wouldn't survive in prison! Well, he'd probably be fine actually since he knows how to handle himself, but it didn't mean he wanted to go!

As the guards let go of the now prisoners and began to usher them towards their next unwanted destination, Katsu gets an idea to at least attempt to plead his case.

"Wait, wait, please! Don't take me to jail, I'll do anything! C'mon, please?" Katsu says, his expression pleading as he looks at the guards with his best version of puppy dog eyes, They don't work very well, earning him only confused and mildly irritated expression in return.

Katsu's face scrunches up in embarrassment and as his mind runs through various scenarios of him being in prison for the next few years over public property damage of some cabbages, a bit of his common sense goes away as he reaches for his bow with a vaguely deranged expression.

"Fine, be that way! You'll never take my bow, do you hear me?!" Katsu says in a semi-crazed voice, turning on his heel and firmly gripping his bow and arrow, drawing his weapon as he gets into a familiar stance and attempts to grasps the grip of his bow, the young man pausing with an extremely blank face as he looks at his bow and sees… a severed bow string and some wood chipping off his bow. His normally tan face goes pale as he clutches his bow to his chest and gapes like a fish, unable to even think of how to react.

The Omashu guards were in bending stances to subdue the archer, but after seeing his blank face, they just looked confused. A particularly curious guard waves his hand in front of Katsu's face, but he doesn't even react as he continues to clutch his bow tightly to his chest.

"Uhm… Let's get a move on," one of the Omashu guards finally says, directing Katsu's unresponsive form toward the king's palace, Katsu walking on autopilot. All he could think about is what he was without his bow.

He'd basically been raised with the bow, training with it in his hands from day one. It's true that he hadn't really had a chance for maintenance on his bow and he didn't really have the supplies to fix it himself, but he'd never imagined that his bow would just… snap like that.

The bald monk and tan-skinned girl shoot him apologetic looks and semi-worried ones too, unsure if he even registers what they're doing, while the tan-skinned boy with the ponytail seems to just be flabbergasted that he'd gotten involved in their shenanigans at all. Their trip toward the palace is mostly silent, the Omashu guards nudging them along anytime they dragged their feet.

Despite being fairly disoriented from the loss of his boy, Katsu can't help but continue to admire the city as he's escorted deeper and deeper into the stone jungle. The strange looks of people looking at the group as if they were criminals did little to ease his unstable emotions, the young man feeling unwelcome and shame creeping up on him bit by bit, all for something he wasn't even involved with in the first place.

His mix between anger and misery show clearly on his face, the tumultuous mix raging within him as he's pushed along against his will, the young man still digging his nails roughly into the wood pressed against his chest, the fractured weapon and severed string taunting him with each brush against his skin. The clattering of the broken wood only sinks his mood further, the walk to the palace taking very little time, though mostly because Katsu can hardly even focus on the walk at all.

He snaps out of his internal mourning monologue as he comes upon the grand palace, the building towering over him with ease

. Despite his mood, he can't help but look up and gasp, having never seen such architecture before in his life. He's been traveling for a few months now, but for him it's been quite hard to adjust to such a complex building and the elegance of it all. His whole life he'd been surrounded by handmade buildings made solely from the hands of a few members in his community, their design simplistic but capable of doing their job well. He had to admit, he found such bullying… home-like, the basic nature welcoming and almost serving as a comfort.

The castle before him is nothing of the sort, clearly filled to the brim with fancy collectibles and riches beyond his imagination, many of the rooms likely not even being used. He doesn't quite find it uncomfortable, more so looking at it with a completely flabbergasted expression. Being able to see such a thing, despite the less than ideal conditions, is something he finds as almost kind of an adventure. Ever since he's stepped out of the small world-view from his former lifestyle, he can't help but find it eye-opening to see how different the world can really be.

The guards continue to push the captives into the building, the large wooden doors adorned with green jewels opening to reveal the castle's grandeur halls. The gang and Katsu are ushered inside, the door calling slowly behind them as they head deeper and deeper into the castle's walls.

The overtly green and brown themes of the castle are eye-catching despite their usual neutrality, the bright emerald greens from various gems and lighting making it a bit hard to focus as the prisoners' eyes adjust in the well-lit, yet a strangely colored ambiance of the castle.

When they eventually come upon the king, they're in awe by how… gaudy he looks. His green robes are intricately designed, as is his rather large crown with horn-like protrusions coming from the top of his hat. He has many rings on his finger, made of very clearly expensive gold and gemstones, the light reflection from the small objects clear as day as the king taps his fingers against his throne's armrest.

He also looks quite old, but the three pranksters bury their thoughts as they look on at the king, awaiting their judgment. Katsu swallows harshly as he stares at the king, unsure of how to even react in the presence of royalty.

Despite the king's gaudy nature and strange stare, making his appearance almost humorous, Katsu can't help but still feel his nerves frazzle as he waits for the king to speak, sweat dripping down his back as he steels his legs to be steady and his back to be straight.

The group of four are forced to their knees by the guards as one turns toward the king and begins to speak, "Your Majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages."

"Off with their heads! One for EACH cabbage" the merchant says, seething in comedic anger. The guard tells him to be quiet, though the cabbage merchant still mutters under his breath as he watches the scene before him, awaiting bloodshed.

"What is your judgment, sir?" The guard asks the king.

"Hmm…" The king broods with a serious expression, Katsu feeling his stomach drop into his knees.

' _First, my bow broke and now I'm gonna be subjected? Just my luck, I guess...'_

He looks over at the troublemakers that got him into this mess in the first place, finally recognizing the two tan-skinned individuals to be from one of the Water Tribes. He's really only seen people like them a few times in his life, his mind drifting toward what it would be like to live in such a cold place. He sighed once he realized it didn't really matter considering he's going to the slammer.

The girl seems to be hopeful of the king's judgment, the man beside her seeming far less optimistic. The monk, in garb Katsu realizes he's never seen before, seems completely unbothered, as if he doesn't care about the results either way.

' _Who are these anyway? And what did I do to get caught in their mess? Wait, can't I just plead my case? I mean, the king can't be that cruel, right? I wasn't even involved! I should just say something and-!'_

Before Katsu can even finish his thought, his attention is snapped toward the king as the old man opens his mouth to speak, his judgment on the tip of his tongue.

"Throw them… a feast!" The king says after a dramatic pause, the Omashu guard and cabbage merchant gasping in shock, the cabbage merchant then groaning in displeasure.

"A… what?!" Katsu says, his eyebrow cock and his face pulled taut in complete and utter confusion. The king merely snorts in response to his over the top reaction, before responding with his usual strangeness.

"Now, now, boy, I'm sure you're quite relieved, hm? You seemed stiff as an arrow a few moments ago, but no need to worry!" The king says, chuckling and snorting as he stands to his feet. Katsu feels a pang in his heart at the mention of arrows, but is too caught up in the confusing and fast situation to even feel sad as the former prisoners and now honored guests are escorted toward the dining room, the king leading them with a few guards by his side.

"Finally, some real food," The young man with the ponytail whispers toward what Katsu assumes is his sister, the resemblance almost entirely uncanny.

"Sokka, we don't even know if he's being for real. This is better than prison and all, but let's just see what happens before we get too comfortable," she whispers back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," he responds flippantly, earning a sigh from his sister.

"Well, Momo _is_ pretty hungry. A feast, even if it's a trap, doesn't sound too bad, right?" The young monk says as the small creature roams around his arm happily, clearly excited for its next meal. Katsu looks at the animal curiously, having never seen one before. He thinks he's heard of one in books he's found on the road a few times, but he can't exactly put a name to it just yet.

' _A monkey rat? Wait, no, it has wings… A bat monkey?'_

Katsu's curious thoughts continue, the group soon arriving in the dining room that was surprisingly not that far of a walk from the throne room. He can't help but turn his head from side to side, trying to soak up every piece of the castle into his mind. In his mind, he believes this is likely the only time in his life that he'll be in a real castle, so he wants to remember it.

The young archer's attention is taken away from the castle's extravagant decor as his nose twitches, his sniffer catching the scent of completely and utterly delectable _food_. His stomach rumbles as he stares down at it, the young man fighting to keep his saliva at bay. He's been eating whatever he can find for the past few months, so being able to dine on such carefully prepared meals is nothing short of a miracle for him.

He quickly takes his seat, the other captives doing the same as the king stares at them curiously, walking around the table. Katsu, unsure of when to eat in such a stiff setting, grips his knees tightly to prevent himself from digging into his heart's content.

His eyes rest on the strange bat monkey chewing on some crunchy side dishes before the king begins to speak, catching his attention once more.

"The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts, so I hope you like your chicken with no skin," the king says as he grabs a chicken leg, waving at around as he leans against the monk's chair.

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat," the monk replies.

"How about you? I bet you like meat!" The king says, turning his attention from the monk to the young man with a ponytail. The king shoves the skinless meat into the young man's mouth, the guest screeching in response before he tastes the flavor of the juicy chicken and begins to chew.

Taking that as his signal to eat, Katsu immediately fills his plate to the brim with foods from all around the table and begins munching on the foods quickly, stuffing his face as much as possible. The young water tribe woman and the monk look at Katsu in shock, blinking a few times as they wonder how he can even eat so much in so few bites.

"Yes, yes! Enjoy your meals, boy!" The king says in a jovial tone as he takes his seat before clearing his throat, "So, tell me, young bald one. Where are you from?"

"I'm from… Kangaroo Island!" The monk answers, Katsu pausing momentarily in his crazed chewing, his eyes wide as he considers such an island. He's never heard of it before, but it does sound quite exciting!

"Ah, Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hopping!" The king says, his joke hanging in the air as the seated travelers stare at him blankly. The young water tribe man is the only one to laugh, the others in the room looking at him with deadpan expressions.

"What? It was funny," he answers simply.

The king yawns a few moments after, stretching his limbs as he looks at the group with a slightly sleepy expression.

"Well, all these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay," the king says as he slowly reaches into his sleeve before chucking a chicken leg at the young monk. The monk reacts instinctively, catching the chicken leg with… air?

Katsu stops eating in his tracks, staring at the young man in shock, a chicken leg still dangling from his mouth. His expression resembles the surprised guards and officials of Omashu, all of the men silent as they observe the scene before them.

"There's an Airbender in our presence. It's not just any air bender, mind you. It's the Avatar!" The king bellows, Katsu choking on his chicken leg as he beats his chest, staring at the young monk with his eyes bulging out of their sockets.

' _The-the Avatar?! Here? Him?!'_

"Now… what do you have to say for yourself, Mister PippinPaddle Oppsokopolis?" The king says with an accusatory stare. A few moments of silence pass before the monk finally begins to speak, standing from his chair at the dining table.

"Okay, you caught me. I'm the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe," he says as he peers under the table, "Everything checks out. No firebenders here, so good work everybody! Love each other!"

He pulls his companions into a hug with a huge goofy grin on his face, Katsu still clearing his throat from the meat in his windpipe as he looks at the young monk in surprise. He's heard so many stories of the Avatar, many of which were terrible, but also quite a few that spoke of the great feats his ancestors have done and how he intends to save the world.

"Respect all life and don't run with your spears! We'll see ya next time!" The young monk says as he and his travel party slowly start to back out of the dining room, though they are quickly blocked by the spears of the guards.

"You can't keep us here! Let us leave!" The young water tribe woman says, her voice rising.

"Lettuce leaf?" The king questions, taking a bite into a leafy green. Katsu holds in a snort, still seated at the table awkwardly and unsure of what to do.

"This guy is _nuts_ ," the young water tribe man whispers to his partners.

"Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. But for now, the guard will show you to your chamber," the king says in a serious tone.

One of the guards clears his throat and interrupts, having a question of his own.

"My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?"

"The newly refurbished chamber."

"Wait, which one are we talking about?"

"The one that used to be the bad chamber, until the recent refurbishing, that is. Of course, we've been calling it the new chamber, but we really should number them. Uh, take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!"

'That's a pretty complicated explanation,' Katsu thinks to himself as he finishes chewing.

"And take this one too!" The king says, gesturing toward Katsu.

"Me?! Wait, I didn't even do anything! I didn't know that guy was the Avatar," Katsu says quickly, waving his hands defensively.

"Now, now, no buts! Go enjoy your stay in the newly refurbished chamber," the king says as he gnaws on a lettuce leaf, cackling a bit as he does so. Katsu clings to his bow and arrow before sticks one more chicken wing into his mouth and cleans it in a few moments, a guard taking the bone from his mouth and tossing it onto his plate as he drags Katsu out of the room.

* * *

* * *

The young man strains his eyes to see a chamber, his eyes finally resting on a big hole in the wall where a few other guards stand. The guard dragging him throws him into the room, the young man landing on his hind parts with a thud before the wall is shut behind him with earth bending.

"Hm. That's pretty efficient," Katsu muses to himself before turning toward the group he's been locked in the room with.

"Uh… hi?" The young water tribe woman says, looking at him with a confused, but welcoming expression.

"Hello, everyone. These aren't, uh, the best conditions to meet new people in, but y'know," Katsu says as he stands to his feet, dusting off his clothes.

"Sorry about your bow…. Uh?" Aang asks.

"Katsu. My name is Katsu," he answers.

"Sorry about your bow, Katsu. We didn't mean to get you caught up in the mess," the young monk says apologetically.

"What about sorry to _me_?! I told you all I didn't think this was a good idea and now look at us! We're prisoners!" The young water tribe man says.

"Well, at least the room is nice," his sister replies optimistically.

"Who cares if the room is nice?!"

"I'm just trying to be positive!"

"Well, it's not _helping_!"

"Guys, guys, c'mon. We don't have to fight," the young monk says, "I just need to figure out what I'm going to do about these challenges, whatever they are…"

"Aang, we're not sticking around to find out. There's got to be some way out of here," the young woman says, seeing the worried expression on Aang's face and wanting to comfort him.

"So your name is Aang?" Katsu questions, curious to learn more about the Avatar.

"Oh, right, we didn't even introduce ourselves. I'm Katara and the grump over there is my brother, Sokka," the water tribe woman says.

"I'm _not_ grumpy," Sokka mumbles, a few other choice words slipping from his tongue as he complains.

"I see, it's nice to meet you all! Sort of, anyway. What's the bat monkey's name?" Katsu questions innocently.

"Bat monkey?! He's a flying lemur!" Aang asks, he and his now chunky flying lemur looking a bit offended.

"Sorry, sorry! I've never heard of such a thing before, let alone seen one," Katsu says.

"Really? I'd never seen one until I met Aang either, but I sort of knew about them from books I'd read," Katara says.

"Not everyone's a bookworm like you, Katara," Sokka says, Katara shooting him a glare in response.

"Well, where I'm from, there just weren't many books about that sort of thing," Katsu says.

"Oh, where are you from then?" Aang questions.

"Oh, uh, you know… Around," Katsu says awkwardly, clearing his throat,

"Anyway, how do we plan to get out of here?"

The gang looks at him a bit strangely before deciding to drop it, agreeing that they should focus their attention on how to escape. They all think for a few moments, their eyes absentmindedly roaming around the room as they try to think of ideas.

Aang lets out a sound, smiling happily as he stares at the vent in the room.

"If you think any of us can fit into that vent, you're even crazier than that king," Sokka replies.

"We can't, but Momo can!" Aang says happily.

"... Uh, are you sure?" Katsu questions as he peers over at the lemur, noticing it's now extended belly and tired expression as crumbs rest around its mouth.

"Yes, I'm sure! Momo, I need you to find Appa and bust us out of here!" Aang says as he picks up his precious lemur and tries to stuff it into the open vent, only resulting in the lemur getting stuck. Aang sighs in defeat as he slumps his back, a disappointed expression on his face. As Momo continues to struggle to get out of the whole, Sokka and Aang begin to speak.

"Eh, whatever. What was Appa gonna do anyway?"

"He's a ten-ton flying bison, I think he could figure something out," Aang replies.

"Ten-ton?! Flying bison?!" Katsu asks, stars in his eyes as he thinks of a bison with wings.

"You've never heard of a flying bison either?!" Aang questions in shock.

"No, never!" Katsu answers quickly, his eyes wide as he tries to imagine such a strange creature.

"Well, once we get out of here, maybe I can show you him," Aang answers, glad to see someone appreciative of animals so vital to his culture.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before we can even get out of here, you have to do those tests. You should get some rest, Aang," Katara says as she hops onto her bunk bed, "It looks like you'll need it for tomorrow."

Sokka and Katara lay in their beds, Aang slowly and dejectedly walking over to his bed as he gets into his covers, dread pooling in his stomach as he thinks of the day to come.

Seeing that it's about time to rest, Katsu heads over to his bed as well, feeling the mattress with slight curiosity. For most of his life, he's slept in sleeping bags or on a bug-infested ground, so this is quite the change of pace.

He hops into his bed, his broken bow and arrows still in his arms. The sinking feeling of the mattress beneath him is unfamiliar, yet strangely comfortable. He runs his fingers along his broken bow and arrow, his expression pulled taut as he wonders how he's going to fix his weapon.

He drifts off to sleep with thoughts of possible escape and maybe getting to see a flying bison, though the feeling of loss remains at the back of his mind as he sleeps beside his broken companion.

* * *

* * *

Katsu is in a deep sleep for the first time in a while, but it doesn't take much for his heightened senses to jolt him out of his sleep, but by then it's too late. He feels rough arms grasping at him and pulling him out of his bed, the young man thrashing against the hold as he reaches for his bow and arrow, but in their broken state they're of little help. The familiar weapon is ripped from his hands, Katsu gasping in shock as rage overtakes his features.

"Give that ba-!" A hand is clamped over his mouth as he's dragged out of the room, the young man peering over to see Katara and Sokka being dragged away as well.

Before he knows it, he and the other two are behind a stone wall, guards surrounding them as the sit and wait. Katsu feels unsteady on his feet, his bow and arrow nowhere in sight.

A heavy feeling of sickness and panic rests in his stomach as he clutches his hands, feeling for a bow and arrow that are not there. He remains like this for nearly half an hour before he suddenly hears voices on the other side of the wall.

"I don't have time for your crazy games! Give me my friends back!"

"Oh, I thought you might say that. I'll give your friends some special souvenirs, then!" King Bumi says, the wall in front of Katsu, Katara, and Sokka dropping as their face to face with Aang.

The Omashu guards force rings onto the fingers of the three kidnapped individuals, Katsu staring down at the yellow candy ring curiously, moving his hand from side to side. He attempts to pull it off, but the ring only glows brightly before getting larger.

"AH! What just happened?!" Katsu questions, King Bumi chuckling in response.

"Those delightful rings are made of pure jennamite, also known as creeping crystal. It's a crystal that grows remarkably fast. By nightfall your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible thing, really. I can stop it, but _only_ if you cooperate," the king says. Sokka's ring begins to glow as well, the purple-blue stone slowly getting larger.

"It's already creeping!" Sokka says, his freaked out expression almost comical. Katara looks just as freaked out, if not looking a bit scared as she looks at the growing ring on her hand. Aang is silent for a moment before he speaks.

"I'll do what you want," Aang says seriously.

* * *

* * *

A short moment later, King Bumi smiles a pleased yet strangely evil smile and leads the group toward a cave setting connected to the castle, the area filled with rocky spikes of all kinds.

Katsu looks around in awe, never having seen such a beautiful cave before, his sharp eyes then resting on a key hanging from a chain in the middle of a waterfall's stream.

Aang stands at the bottom of the cave, many sharp spikes between him and the key as he looks at King Bumi for further instruction.

"It seems I've lost my lunch box key and I'm hungry. Ooh, there it is! Would you mind fetching it for me?" King Bumi asks, gesturing toward the key.

Aang first attempts to climb the ladder, then trying to dive into the waterfall as King Bumi makes sarcastic comments to mock him.

Katsu is still merely stunned by his air bending, having never seen it in real life before, despite the monk not using it to its full potential. The monk soon succeeds with his task, using his air bending to propel a spike and catch the key from the waterfall. Katsu smiles, pumping his fist a bit as he watches with slight glee.

"There, enjoy your lunch! Now give me my friends back!" Aang says.

"Ah, ah, not yet! I've lost my pet, Flopsie. Bring him to me!" King Bumi commands as he guides Aang and the gang toward the area he last saw his precious pet, Katsu silent as the slightly chilly yellow wring curls up his arm. Aang heads into the dirt pit Flopsie was last seen, spotting a cut little lop-eared bunny.

"There you are! Come here, Flopsie!" Aang says as he lunges toward the bunny, the small animal quickly dodging and hopping away from him.

"Wait, Flopsie! Flopsie, come back!" Aang says as he pursues the bunny before a sudden large, buff animal appears.

Katsu's mouth hangs agape as he eyes the strange animal, having never seen it before.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" He questions loudly, Aang looking behind him in response and his eyes growing wide as the buff snarling goat gorilla runs toward him.

"Wait.. Flopsie?" Aang questions, the goat gorilla picking Aang up and licking him affectionately. Bumi blows a whistle, summoning Flopsie to his side for some affectionate petting.

"Who's a good boy? You are, yes that's right, you are!" King Bumi coos. Katsu wonders if his interest in adventure has thrown him into perhaps a strangely terrifying world, but he can't say he doesn't kind of like it.

"Are you guys alright?" Aang questions, finally done with his second task.

"Not really," Katsu answers, Sokka nodding in agreement.

"Quiet, guys! Aside from the crawling crystals slowly encasing our bodies, we're okay!" Katara answers, Sokka then falling onto his side as the crystal covers the entire left side of his body, Katsu hiding a laugh in response.

"I'm ready for the next challenge," Aang says as he walks over to King Bumi, the king stopping his petting of his precious goat gorilla to face Aang with a smirk.

"Of course," he answers, guiding the group toward an almost arena-like setting.

Katara, Katsu, and Sokka are on an adjacent balcony to Aang and King Bumi. The three prisoners are now covered in crystals up to their necks, their faces exposed as they look on at the scene before them anxiously.

"Your final test is a duel. As a special treat, you get to pick who you fight," King Bumi says as two frighteningly looking challenges come out, looking ready to pummel Aang into the ground.

"So, you're saying… I can choose anyone I want and fight them?"

"That is correct," King Bumi answers.

"I choose…. you!" Aang says, pointing his finger at King Bumi, the man laughing in response.

"Wrong answer!" He says, ripping his expensive garb off to reveal an unnaturally ripped old man beneath. Katsu's eyes nearly bulge out of his skull as he stares at King Bumi in shock.

"What kind of old man even is he?!"

"You thought I was just a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see," King Bumi says with a smirk.

Aang quickly sputters and in a comedic moment left quickly says

"Can I take the guy with the axe instead?"

"There are no take-backs in this kingdom! Here, you might need this," King Bumi replies as a guard tosses Aang his staff.

Then in a quick moment, King Bumi and Aang navigate into the arena, King Bumi attacking Aang with a storm of rocks and Aang hitting him with powerful winds, King Bumi taunting him with each wrong move Aang makes.

The battle is intense, Katsu's eyes moving from one end of the battlefield to the next as he feels the crystal on him get heavier. To see such masterful bending in real-time is unbelievable and he can't tear his eye from the battle for even a moment. In a short day, he's explored an entire city, slept and feasted at a palace and NOW w itnessing the AVATAR of all people dueling the King of Omasha

His thoughts are interrupted as the battle reaches a conclusion once Aang and King Bumi's battle ends with a standstill, Aang ready to strike his feet and Bumi ready to crush him with a boulder.

"Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart. You've passed all my tests," King Bumi smiled proudly. He then earthbends himself back into the ground and pops right up infront of Katsu, Katara and Sokka which bewilders the confused archer already

Aang quickly flies up and makes his way to the balcony, standing in front of the King seriously.

"Now, you must answer one question," King Bumi interjects as he stands comfortably

"That's not fair! You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests."

Bumi smiles and ominously asks "Yes, but what is a test if you don't learn anything?"

"Oh, come on!" Sokka interrupts, anger and frustration in his voice.

"Answer this one question and I will set your friends free. Now: What… is my name?" King Bumi questions, the group looking at him with dumbfounded expressions before he begins to speak again,

"From the looks of it, your friends only have a few minutes, so answer quickly."

King Bumi wanders a bit away from the group, Aang taking time to ask the group for their input. He looks at them confused and frustrated while the entire group is submerged in crystal, Katsu barely able to see or breathe even

"How am I supposed to know his name?"

"This is about challenges. Maybe it's some kind of riddle," Katara says.

"I got it!" Sokka interjects with an excited tone.

"Yeah? What is it?!"

"He's an earthbender, right?! Rocky. You know, it's gotta be that. Because of all the rocks,".

Katsu, Aang, and Katara look at him blankly, Katsu letting out a sigh

"We're going to keep trying, but that is a good backup," Katara says, Sokka frowning in response.

Katsu scrunches up, thinking deeply, almost in a near manic panic and then eagerly responds

"Well… his name is King Bumi… Maybe Bumi is a short version of his name? Or King Bumi is an anagram! Like, uh… Kubiming? Now, Bukingmi. No, wait, Kinbumig!"

"Uhm…" Aang says, blinking a few times.

"Too much of a stretch?".

"Yeah…" Aang answers honestly, Katsu hanging his head in a little bit of shame.

"Well, what did you learn from him then?" Katara says, trying to find a way to answer the question as the crystal begins to cover her face.

"Well, everything was different from what I expected," Aang says.

"And?" Katara questions, her voice growing higher and more anxious as the crystal continues to move.

"Well, they weren't straight forward. To solve each test, I had to think differently than I usually would... I know his name," Aang says, confidence in his voice. He approaches King Bumi, a serious expression on his face.

* * *

* * *

Aang stands before Bumi, who has put his robes back on and stands proudly behind his throne and looking at Aang expectedly

"I solved the question the same way I solved the challenges. As you said a long time ago, I had to open my brain to the possibilities. Bumi, you're a mad genius," Aang says as King Bumi snorts a familiar snort, the two hugging one another happily, glad to see an old friend.

"Oh, Aang, it's good to see you. You haven't changed a bit. Literally," King Bumi says.

"Uh, over here!" Katara says, interjecting into the sentimental moment. As the group barely waddles into the hall with the guards a short distance behind

"Little help," Sokka says.

"Any day now, please," Katsu adds on.

Bumi walks over and calmly flexes his hand and breaks the crystal, freeing the three former prisoners. He catches a piece of the mineral before chewing it, Katsu looking at him strangely and with a bit of disgust.

"It's rock candy! Delicious," Bumi says, glee on his face.

"So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?" Katara asks.

"Who are you calling old?" Bumi asks, the group pausing for a moment, "Okay, fine, I'm old."

"Why did you do all of this instead of telling Aang who you were?" Sokka questions.

"First of all, it's just pretty fun messing with people," King Bumi says with a snort, which draws the ire of Sokka

"But I do have a reason. Aang, you have a difficult task ahead." he then looks at the whole group, silence descending on them as the King looks properly more serious than he's ever been in their entire stay there

"The world has changed in the hundred years that you've been gone. It's the duty of the Avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius. And it looks like you're in good hands. You'll need your friends to help defeat the Fire Nation" he then smiles and strokes Momo's ears

" Including Momo"

Momo climbs onto Aang's shoulder, the airbender looking at the king with an appreciative glance. He bows before smiling at his old friend.

"Thank you for your wisdom, Bumi," Aang says.

"You'll need new friends as well," King Bumi says, glancing at Katsu,

"Finding allies will be an important part of the journey you have ahead of you."

"UH-" Katsu questions, but Bumi continues to speak over him.

"Take this young lad for example. Come here, boy," Bumi says,

Katsu approaches him curiously and the gang watches with varying amounts of interest, Aang curious, Katara politely looking, and Sokka wondering why they haven't left yet.

"You're forgetting this, aren't you?" King Bumi says as he hands him his newly fixed bow and arrow, Katsu's eyes widened as he smiles.

"But how?" He questions, clutching the weapon to himself like any second it would break into pieces;

"It was quite hard, you know. You're lucky my weapon engineer even knew how to work with that particular wood. It's quite rare,"

"I don't know I could ever repay you," Katsu looking down at his bow happily.

"I'd like to see it in action, boy. I've only seen such a bow a few times in my life, it would be quite interesting to see it used again," King Bumi says, Katsu looks at him and then back at the gang.

"Sure, that's fine with me," Katsu answers. Bumi whistles, using his bending to lift ten small pebbles at once as they stand in the palace hall, the rocks floating at the end of the hall

"You sound quite confident," King Bumi says.

"I am. When it comes to my bow, I know it like the back of my hand," Katsu says, feeling completely in his element as he holds his bow in hand, getting into his stance.

"On the count of three, I'll throw these rocks. I want you to hit each and every one of them, or you'll be stuck on cleaning duty for the rest of the year," King Bumi says, a cackle bubbling in his throat.

Sokka and Katara grimace at the idea of being in charge of cleaning such a large castle, though Aang merely wonders what his friend really has planned this time.

"You've got yourself a deal," Katsu answers.

Immediately, Katsu stands ahead of the Gang, as everyone stands around him while the guards move out of the way at the end of the palace entrance

"Alrighty, then… One…..… Two…..…!" King Bumi says, throwing his rocks before he even reaches the agreed upon number three.

In a flash Katsu reaches behind him to grab his arrows, his arm moving at unreal speeds as he draws and shoots five arrows in two sets, the wooden arrows flying through the air and hitting their targets dead-on, the small rocks turning to dust after being stuck in their centerpoint by the sharpened arrows.

Everyone gasps and looks in shock while Bumi has a curious expression on his face

"Wha- I- that wasn't even fair!" Sokka shouted.

"But, he did it, didn't he?" King Bumi says, chuckling as he looks over at the archer with curiosity, feeling like his archery techniques are familiar somehow.

"That's amazing," Katara muses to herself, her eyes needing a few moments to adjust to the small targets even while in mid-air. Honestly, she hadn't even seen the move, the arrows hitting them mere milliseconds after Bumi threw them.

"How did you learn to do that?" Aang asks, excitement and genuine curiosity in his voice.

"I've had a lot of practice," Katsu says coyly, though he sighs a breathe of relief and looks proud

King Bumi then turns again to Aang and looks straight at him, his eyes piercing into the group as they again submerged in silence

"Heed my words, Aang. After all these years of being alive, I know a good person and a good warrior when I see one,", Aang nodding in response. Katara and Sokka look at Katsu curiously, the young Archer intrigued by the possibility in front of him and holding his breathe not believing what's going on.

Aang then walks to Katsu infront of the Gang and for the 2nd time, Aang and Katsu are face to face, Katsu still in disbelief he's standing behind a 112 year old legend.

"If you want to travel with us, then you can. If not, then that makes sense too, since we did sort of get you in trouble and all after destroying those cabbages. Sorry about that, by the way," Aang says, looking at Katsu apologetically.

Katsu loads his quiver and straps it and the bow onto his back comfortably, smiling back at Aang

"It's alright, really. It's fixed and better than ever now. This isn't quite how I imagined today would go, but I'm glad it happened,"

He then sighs and looks at Aang, to the Gang and even Bumi himself, who's smiling as if he knows something while watching the interaction. He finally looks back to Aang and says

"I set out to have an adventure and see the world. What better way to do that than travel by the Avatar's side?"

"So, you'll join?" Aang asks happily, a little unsure after all they went through in the short while.

"Of course," Katsu says, smiling toward the monk that is to be the hope of the future.

"Woo, we're gonna have to have a celebration later," Sokka says with a flat tone, Katara then punches him in the arm roughly letting out an annoyed groan

"But seriously, it's good to have you on the team. At least now I won't be surrounded by a bunch of freaky magic benders!."

"It's not freaky, Mister Boomerang, so knock it off," Katara chides she then looks at Katsu warmly, clearly impressed and glad to have met him,

"Anyway, it's good to see you joining us, Katsu. I'm sure we're gonna need all the help we can get."

* * *

* * *

As their journey ends and Aang returned from his "challenge" with King Bumi (apparently he too loves to ride mail carts and destroy cabbages) Katsu, Katara, Aang and Sokka say their goodbyes to Bumi and finally make their way outside the city. They just left the city gate and were now crossing over the large and impressive bridge

Katsu looks back briefly as he's walking and looks at the city in front of him, disbelief still in his eyes, after all, that's happened. Just then, as they cross the bridge, there in a little field makes Katsu stare and gasp loud

There, stood a huge and quite fluffy 10-ton sky bison. It's not as majestic as Katsu was imaging, but he's still quite surprised and he stares as the animal curiously looks right back at Katsu.

Aang quickly hops aboard while Sokka and Katara climb on. He's the last to go on and nervously makes his way up to the saddle, clutching his bag and look around with wide eyes.

"So… how does this work? This bison has no wings," he says.

"Oh, you're gonna love this," Sokka smirks and gives a look to Aang

"Aang, will you do the honors?"

"Of course," Aang says with a smile, holding the reigns tightly while giving a look to him "Are you ready, Katsu?"

"I… hope so?" Katsu says, a bit confused by what's happening.

"Appa…...… Yip yip!"

In mere seconds, the Appa jumps and flaps his tail, leaping into the air as he begins to soar. Katsu's heart flutters in a million paces, motionless and still until as they gain air he starts shouting and looks over the saddle briefly

"Woah! " Katsu says, looking out at how small the large palace looks beneath them.

"Koh's lair….." he sighs under his breathe and looks out and sees the palace and entire city become nothing but mere dots as they float. He turns his head and stares as the gang smile at him

His hair blows in the wind as he clutches his heart still, as the gang then starts to get more settled.

He shook his head and Katsu finally sits down and lays on the saddle thinking about everything that transpired.

Less than a day ago, Katsu was a lone wanderer walking through the plains of the Earth Kingdom and ending up in Omashu. Never in his life would he ever imagine being here, flying on top of a sky bison while he's with two water tribe members AND the Avatar to boot.

He lazily looks at the sky as the clouds go rapidly by and closes his eyes. His mind wondering what tomorrow will bring and ultimately where he may go.

Whatever the case it may be…..it sure will be a grand story and adventure to tell

* * *

* * *


	2. Imprisoned

**Imprisoned**

It was a cool autumn evening in the Earth Kingdom. Katsu was far deep in the forest and was sure they were near a colony. Soot mixed in the air, and Katsu's tracking senses led him to vaguely smell coal soot mixed in the normally crisp and fresh air. He grimaced, as he was no stranger to wandering through Earth Kingdom colonies, nor the type of lifestyle the poor peasants under occupation have to live through. He sighed as he mulled over his musings over everything that happened in the few short days that have come through while he walked back to the small camp the Gang setup.

He still in a way couldn't believe that one day on his first trip to Omashu, he'd end up being arrested, breaking his precious oak bow, feasting, and later on being held hostage with the Earth King, while finally befriending and joining the Avatar and his friends of all people! Here he was, a simple wandering Archer who ventured his past life for a bit of fun and adventure and now they're out to save the world. He stopped as he looked in the brimming later afternoon over his past interactions with the Gang. He felt a bit awkward hanging around the last Airbender, the last Southern Waterbender, and her funny but fairly strategic-minded brother at first, but over time he ended up feeling slow closer to them...

When he first joined, Aang was the first one who warmed up quickly to Katsu, he was a very open and kind spirit and after Katsu's little performance in the Omashu palace and surprisingly King Bumi's cryptic "recommendation" he badgered him endlessly to do various "tricks" while even Sokka sometimes looked on in curiosity. In return, Katsu would often ask Aang questions about life in the Air Temples, the Air Nomad culture, and would watch Aang practice air bending forms. Sometimes his overactive spirit was a little too much for the normally go lucky archer but overall, the two formed a good friendship quickly. For Katsu, he still couldn't believe the long lost Avatar, who had disappeared for the last 100 years, was a normal fun-loving air nomad and was sad about how the Fire Nation

Katara was also a very kind and warm spirit, quickly dubbing her the "mother" of the little group they had. While she wasn't as open and engaging with him as Aang was in the beginning, the two found quick rapport when due to Katsu's life on the road alone, the two ended up working together setting up camp, cooking, and Katsu's skills on delivering food for the Gang, especially when Sokka's insatiable appetite for meat became concerned. They spent a good amount of time with Katara cooking and managing camp, while Katsu would skin the animals or plants he'd catch during the day. On the first day together, the two talked about Katsu's travels, life in the Water Tribes, and for the ever-curious Katsu, he loved to listen to her talk about life in the Tundra. As someone who spent most of his life near fair weather, the idea of living around nothing but ice and water was something he couldn't imagine and for Katara, she was impressed and appreciative of his cleanliness, willingness to help out especially when Aang was out running or playing with Momo while Sokka was tending to "warrior and strategic" journeys. He smirked as he thought about Sokka the most.

When Sokka first saw the trick he did, he demanded to do another show the next day they landed. He was a damn curious fellow and after much coaxing, finally got to hold Katsu's bow and take a look at it. Despite his mannerisms and curiosities, he was still the most strategy minded member of the group and loved to ask Katsu questions about his travels and more importantly life in fire nation colonies. The two spent time with them teaching each other about tracking and hunting, with Sokka experienced in fishing and living in the tundra and Katsu explaining the various fauna and wildlife of the Earth Kingdom. He respected Katsu's need for space and was just glad he was no longer the only non-bender of the group. For Katsu, he enjoyed the young eccentric water tribe's sarcasm, his questions and overall felt glad and honored to be among a group he can feel comfortable with for the first time in a long time.

He cut his musings short as he finally approached the little camp on the grassy plateau with Sokka showing off some…..rocks while Aang and Katara were unimpressed. When, Katara, Sokka, and Aang saw Katsu walk by Katara and Aang quickly approached him with hopeful looks

" Did you manage to catch or find anything?" They eagerly asked

Katsu sighed and meekly held up a few coneys he caught while some leaves they could make for tea. Katara looked at him with shock, surprised at the normally adept hunter, while Aang tried to avoid looking at the dead animals. Sokka, on the other hand, was….triumphant and exclaimed

"Ah-ha - see I'm not the only one! Even Katsu couldn't find much!"

Katsu snorted while Katara retorted back

"Yeah, well at least he managed to bring SOMETHING edible"

Katsu was about to explain why he had a hard time hunting and gathering when all of a sudden a large BOOM caused ripples around the camp they were at.

" What was that?!" exclaimed Sokka

"It's coming over there!" Aang exclaimed and the young Airbender and katara sprinted towards it

" Shouldn't we run AWAY from huge booms not towards them?!" questioned Sokka and he and Katsu quickly ran up to follow them.

When they arrived by the log Aang and Katara were hiding by, they saw a young boy around their age bend an impressive amount of rocks impressively. Katsu remained silent and inquisitive as Katara stated with surprise "An Earthbender!" with Aang eagerly saying "Let's go meet him!"

Sokka, on the other hand, was more cautious as usual and said

" He looks dangerous, let's approach him cautiously"

But before anyone could take his advice, Katara jumped over and began waving at him

" Hello, there I'm Katara! What's your name?"

The boy quickly looks over at her in shock and quickly drops the boulder he was bending, and ran away bending a rock slide of rocks to cover his tracks as he ran away, while the rest of the group ran up to Katara with Aang shouting "Nice to meet ya!" naively.

"I just wanted to say hi," Katara said with a bit of confusion and light offense. Katsu's eyes on the other hand narrowed, his suspicions affirmed and then for the first time spoke to them

" I think I know what's going on…." he said inquisitively, the rest looking at him for an explanation.

" The reason why Sokka and I couldn't catch much food in the forest earlier was that there was barely any wildlife around and the trees and bushes nearby were already picked and gathered. That means the villagers around here are taking more food than usual"

He then walked forward to the distant and took a deep sniff in the air

" There's a lot of dust in the air and coal from the looks of it, with that I think there's only ONE logical reason why an Earthbender would freak out running away like that"

He then turned around to face the group once more

" We're near a fire nation colony," he stated grimly.

The others grimaced and were in shock

" Now look, I've been to colonies before - for a small town by the looks of it, there shouldn't be many soldiers around the town itself, they're probably camped out near a base or something like that on the outskirts. We can go to town, get what we need quickly and leave. What do you say?"

The gang looked at each other and thought for a moment, Katara stating

"Well if it means no nuts for dinner, I don't see why not - Sokka?"

He gave a mutter "Hey I worked hard for those nuts!" but conveniently a loud grumble from his stomach said otherwise which made the other giggle.

" Yeah, I hate them too….alright, guys, you win, Katsu you lead! But we better be careful"

Katsu then gave a small smile and confidently stated "Just keep to me, don't make a scene and we should be out in a jiffy"

Then the group set out, making their way to the town with Katsu proud to be leading the group for once, but anxiety settling deep in his stomach - he hoped he wouldn't meet up with any fire nation if he could help it and he knew they probably didn't have "newly refurbished cells" like they do in Omashu.

* * *

* * *

Katsu was right when he labeled the town as a colony. Even though there weren't any troops around at the moment, the sleepy mining town and its people looked like they've seen better days. Dusk was approaching very soon, and Aang split off for a second to buy a sunhat to cover his arrow pretty quickly.

As the Gang walked around, trying to find a nearby market, Katara saw the boy earlier walk into a store. Katsu by then was a little ahead of the group, and when he saw Katara follow the said boy to the store and Sokka and Aang joined in, he rolled his eyes and muttered

" So much for not trying to make a scene"

He then quickly ran back and entered the store. It was quaint and clean but it barely housed a few goods. An older woman, the boy's mother Katsu assumed, was cross while Katara and the Gang appeared to have startled the boy

"They say you do what?!" the boy's mother shouted as she ran to the window & shuttered it

"They're crazy Mom! Look at how they're dressed! Well save for him" the boy, named Haru, pointing at the Group

"You know how dangerous that is! You know what would happen if they caught you earthbending!" Haru's mother exclaimed back.

Then just before anyone can respond, a loud knock barged on the door and a shout bellowed

"Open up!"

Sokka quickly peeked out and shouted quickly "Fire Nation, act natural!"

Haru's mother opens the door and a fire nation captain with two soldiers walk in. Haru, trying to be inconspicuous, cross eyes and looks at Katara. Sokka eyeballed an apple nearby as if browsing the fruit, while Katara comically hunched over trying to eat berries, and Aang tried to lean on a barrel but ended up falling into a barrel of water.

Katsu rolled his eyes and quickly turned his head anxiously away from even looking at the fire nation soldiers in fear. He eyed some wooden pots and pans and tried to look like he was engrossed in the contents of the small shelves nearby.

The captain walked in, growling at the 4 in front of him, while he walked up to the counter, with Haru's mother glaring at them bravely

"What do you want?! I already paid you this week" she said irritated

The captain, keeping a neutral and cool expression, merely replied "The 'taxes' just doubled" he smirked "and we wouldn't want an accident now" then he bends a small fireball and began playing with it, making the rest stand back a little bit

"Fire is sometimes so hard to control…." letting out a covert threat.

Haru's mother sighs and quickly pulls out a small chest holding what little money they had, she passes a small handful of Earth Kingdom coins to the Fire Nation captain while Haru leans next to the counter glaring at him but refusing to do anything. Katsu glances at the scene and a giant pang feels his heart, the anger subsided as he holds his bow tighter to him and tries to hide it and avoid the fire nation.

The captain, however, triumphantly walks out and haughtily tosses a few coins back to Haru's mother

"You can keep the copper pieces" he muttered and left the store with his escort trailing behind.

As they leave the store, Sokka locks the door again and looks towards Haru's mother and sarcastically says "Nice guy" before asking "How long has the fire nation been here".

Haru's mother replies bitterly "5 years" she looks on to nowhere in particular "Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal to power his ships"

Katsu then nodded and let out a comment "You can tell from the air….would not be surprised if their refinery isn't far from here"

Haru on the other hand just growled "They're thugs" he sneered "They steal from us….and everyone is too much of a coward to do anything about it!"

"Quiet Haru, don't talk like that!" admonished his mother

Katara on the other had a look of determination and then asked curiously

"But Haru's an Earthbender? He can help!"

Katsu sighed and muttered under his breathe Like that's gonna do anything…

Haru's mother looked at Katara with a worn expression and tried to explain " Earthbending is forbidden. Its caused nothing but misery for this village" She then looked towards her son Haru and said sternly "He must never use his abilities"

Katara, on the other hand, was indignant and before Katsu could try to explain some reason, she exclaimed

" But how can you say that? Haru has a gift! Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend. It's a part of who we are."

Katsu leaned back again on the nearby shelves and watched with interest while Sokka and Aang meekly watched. They already knew to reason with Katara when she's like this is impossible. Haru's mother, on the other hand, shook her and dismissively said "You don't understand" but Katara wasn't having it

"I understand that Haru can help you fight back. What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?"

'Oh Katara…..you don't know what these bastards are capable of' he thought sadly.

Haru's mother then exclaimed with worry etched on her face

"They could take Haru away! Like they took his father!"

Katara by then had a look of horror on her face with Katsu sighing as is he was right again. He then looked at the group in particular and sighed, here they were trying to avoid the fire nation and Katara is already trying to stir up rebellion. He didn't know whether to admire her or pity her for naivety.

The mother then sighed, looking at the small group of youth together - Katsu finally taking his little mantle of leader back went forward and said "We apologize for any trouble we may have caused….we just wanted to get some supplies and be on our way"

Haru and her mother then looked down, as if ashamed they didn't extend their manners properly. She then shook her hand and then kindly responded

"That's alright young man - it's late already and there are far too many troops patrolling the woods at this time - you can stay with us for the evening at our farm tonight"

Katsu bowed traditionally in the Earth Kingdom custom, letting out a deep thank you. It would be nice to sleep somewhere secure considering being in an occupied Earth Kingdom town.

* * *

* * *

As dusk fell, Haru led the group over to a farm not too far from the town square. Aang had gone ahead and brought Appa back discreetly, a feat not so easy as said, and led Appa into the little barn.

Katsu then walked in and sat on a nearby barrel and took off his bow and quiver. He looked back and saw the rest of the gang walking in with everyone standing nearby.

"My mom said you can sleep here tonight. But you should leave in the morning."

Aang, the ever cheerful one thanked Haru and promised Appa wouldn't eat up all their hay. Meanwhile, Katara and Haru walked out of the barn and began talking, the two kindred rebel spirits walking towards the distance as the sun started to set soon.

"I do hope they don't get into trouble…"

His thoughts were cut however when Sokka walked over and sat down next to him, letting out a small "hey" to catch his attention. Katsu looked up at Sokka and watched him curiously

"So I was wondering…." Sokka started " You've been to a lot of colonies around here right?"

Katsu cocked an eyebrow in interest and looked at him thoughtfully

"I guess you can say that….why?"

Sokka took a pause and then asked him

" I was just wondering, it seems to me that you know a lot about the fire nation and its colonies around here…..how do you know so much?"

Katsu sighed and took some arrows out of his quiver, he then took a little knife from his pack and began sharpening them. They were a set of steel from King Bumi that he gave Katsu before they left Omashu. Thinking how he should answer he finally said

" I guess you can say I grew up a lot around them. Fire Nation has been in these parts of the woods since long as I can remember. For most folk around here, everybody at some point interacts with them"

He then scraped an edge and let a small spark startling Sokka

" I guess when you grow up and travel all over these towns, you learn the do's and don'ts pretty quickly."

Sokka said nothing, while he survived through the raid, he spent most of his life in the shelter and isolation of his tribe. He barely remembers his father meeting with villagers from other far water tribe settlements but that was it.

" I guess that makes sense….did you and your family grow up around here?"

Katsu tensed quickly and snapped an arrow and let out a curse. Sokka eyed him curiously but said nothing. Finally, Katsu relented, if they're gonna travel the world together, they might as well know him a bit.

Taking a deep sigh and looking at the ground he finally explained

"My parents died when I was young…... I don't really remember them much, my father died during the war and my mother died from a plague outbreak when I was little. Since then I pretty much grew up surviving on my own"

Sokka looked down feeling a little ashamed, whatever suspicions he had dying out quickly and in a low voice he finally shared

"I'm really sorry….believe it or not, I kinda know what it feels like to go through that"

Katsu looked at him curiously

"My mother died in a fire nation raid when I was little…... I can barely remember her much at all, not long after my father and all the men gathered and left to help the Earth Kingdom for the war."

By then Sokka was now looking in the empty hay pile as Aang was tending to Appa

"I was left to take care of the tribe….well what was left of it, I wish I could have gone with my dad and every night I hope he's alright"

Katsu stayed silent and felt a deep sense of empathy and sadness.

" I'm sorry….it seems this war has been hard for all of us and be a part of our lives, just look at the town we're in and everything. It's kinda strange to live in a world where there is no war"

He then took a look at Aang who was doing some silly airbending trick and playing with Appa and Momo without a care in the world

"It's kinda crazy to see Aang be the way he is, crazy how such a small go lucky kid is the last airbender and Avatar even"

Sokka then snorted and gave a fond look towards Aang

"Yeah…..he sure is crazy" he said teasingly "If it weren't for him and the stunt my sister pulled to get him to get out of the iceberg and afterward, I'd probably be stuck back home"

Katsu then dropped his arrow again and looked at him with a shell shocked expression

" Did you say…... Iceberg?"

Sokka then let out a strong "yep" and spent the next hour talking about how he was just trying to fish as a simple man with a boomerang until they found Aang, went back to the village, set off a fire nation flare and ended up meeting the banished fire nation prince. As he explained, Katsu quickly paused and interrupted, the first time since Sokka began to explain their crazy tale

" Wait a minute…...banished prince….Fire Nation….did his name happen to be Prince Zuko by chance?"

Sokka had a surprised look on his face, and not trying to sound suspicious again asked "Yeah…..pony tale, angry jerkbender with a scar on his face….why you know him or something?"

Katsu snorted

" I guess so - you spend enough time hanging out at Earth Kingdom ports and the number one topic both Earth and Fire nation sailors like to gab out is the 'mystery of the banished prince"

Sokka's interest pique, having never heard much about the crazy guy trying to capture them constantly. Katsu then explained

" For some reason - the prince got banished from the Fire Nation by his father….nobody ever knew what it was exactly, but everyone mentions his ponytail and bald head because apparently in Fire Nation culture that's the mark of the banished."

He then went back to his arrows as he continued

"According to word out there, the prince has to capture the Avatar for some reason so he can go home. Nobody knows why though - some say he was out caught canoodling with some fire nation noble who was already engaged and ended up losing a duel with the girl's betrothed and got the scar which embarrassed the Fire Lord. Others say he got into some freak accident and his father sent him away because he's apparently a nut case. But again, this is from the words of drunken sailors trying to sound important so the heck do I know"

Katsu then looked at Sokka and then a frightening realization crept over him

"So let me get this straight….the bloody Fire Prince is constantly after you guys since you met Aang and you guys are always getting tangled with him?!"

Sokka in typical fashion just shrugged

"Hey you said it - the angry jerk bender just always shows up and tries to catch Aang. No matter where you go THERE'S Zuko showing up"

Katsu then commented

"Is he good a fighter or as crazy as they say he is?"

Sokka actually took a moment to wonder about this and answered

"I guess he's alright - for a fighter" he conveniently left out the part when Zuko completely unarmed him and knocked him flat on his but when he came to the village

" Aang seems to be able to elude him though and we always seem to get away from him just in time"

Katsu then snorted

"If anyone told me a few months ago I'd end up getting arrested, feasting with the Earth King, befriending the Avatar who happens to be the last airbender and now inadvertently end up on the hit list of the banished Fire Nation Prince - I would have told them to lay off the cactus juice"

Sokka then asked

"What's cactus juice"

Katsu then let a groan…"You really don't wanna know…."

Before Sokka continued, however, Katara entered back the barn, she looked rather pleased with herself and had a look of pride in her face

'Here's trouble…' Katsu mulled ominously

"What's gotten in you such a good mood," Sokka asked suspiciously

Katara then smiled and explained how Haru and she went for a walk, and while they were walking near the mine they were at they met an old man who was trapped. After much prodding, Katara then finally convinced Haru to use his earthbending which freed and saved the man from being crushed.

"It was so brave of Haru to use earthbending to help that old man" she glowed

"You must have really inspired him" cheered Aang

Katsu on the other hand sighed and didn't wanna say anything but Katara then looked at him and saw his apprehension. By then Katsu and the Gang were getting ready to go to bed and she looked and asked

"You don't seem so happy Katsu….I thought you of all people would be glad to hear something like this"

Katsu sighed

" You don't understand Katara…...I'm happy for Haru saving the poor man, but I'm just worried. If somebody saw you or rats you out, Haru could be in A LOT of trouble"

Katara waved him off

"Look don't worry - the only people who were there were Haru, the old man, and myself, so don't worry who's gonna tell?"

Katsu shrugged and laid down trying to not worry. Sokka took a hint and then finally said

" Look guys, we should all get some sleep, we're leaving at dawn"

" Dawn!? Can't we sleep in for once?" Katara pouted

"Absolutely not! This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover you're here, Aang, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Goodnight" Sokka exclaimed

"I'd rather eat fireballs then nuts" she responded

"Goodnight" grunted Sokka, while the rest laughed at the banter. Katara then blew out the candle and finally, they went to sleep.

* * *

* * *

The next day the Gang was up and early. Katara was outside the barn to fetch water from the well while Aang was feeding Appa. Sokka and Katsu, on the other hand, were preparing to leave with Sokka wrapping up the Gang's supplies and Katsu adding the final touches to a new trick he developed for his bow. He was just clipping the last detail for the arrow he was developing when Katara barged into frantic and upset.

"They took him! They took Haru away!" Katara shouted, panting as she was trying to catch her breathe

"What?!"

"Katsu was right! The old man turned him in to the Fire Nation - it's all my fault - I forced him into earthbending!" she exclaimed

Sokka ran up to her and tried to calm her down

"Haru's mother said they came for him at midnight," she explained

Katsu let out a 'damn it' under his breathe while Sokka tried to explain

" Then it's too late to track him, he's long gone."

Katara's fists however clenched and she looked down with a look of determination on her face. It was "the face" Sokka liked to refer to whenever she sets her mind on something

" We don't need to track him. The Fire Nation is going to take me right to Haru."

" And ... why would they do that?" asked Aang confused

" Because they're going to arrest me for earthbending…."

Aang, Sokka, and Katsu gave horrified and shocked looks to each other. Katsu shook his head, his original plan to lead the group OUT of fire nation prisons clearly in failure.

Letting out a sigh he finally chimed in

"I'm in…..what's your plan?" asked Katsu, with Aang and Sokka doubling over in exasperation.

Katara then let out a devious smirk and then explained.

* * *

* * *

Soon Aang, Katara, Katsu, and Sokka were near one the main mines that were along the routes the Fire Nation liked to patrol. They were pushing a giant boulder over the air vent under them and when they finally pushed it in place Katsu let out a sigh

" Thought you were crazy at first, Katara, but this might work," Sokka explained

"There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines. All Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent to this one right here. The boulder levitates and ta-da! Fake earthbending."

Katsu had to admit…...it was a fairly impressive plan.

"I'll be in the trees and keep a lookout," he said, going into the nearby forest and climbing the sturdy tree with ease

Katara then looked towards Aang and looked over sternly

"Aang? Did you get all that?" she asked

" Yeah, yeah. Just relax. You're taking all the fun out of this." he replied cheerly as he lay on the floor bending little puffs of air dismissively

"By this, do you mean intentionally being captured by a group of ruthless firebenders?" Sokka asked exasperated

" Exactly! That's fun stuff!"

Before Aang and Sokka could continue, Katsu saw a little group of Fire Nation soldiers walking their way. Letting out a little whistle he shouted "Hurry up! They're on their way!" Sokka and Katara then quickly ran to their places

As the group of spear-wielding guards approach, Katara and Sokka then walked to each other and a made a point to bump into each other with their stomachs colliding

" Get out of my way, pipsqueak! " Sokka exclaimed while the soldiers watched in confusion

"How dare you call me pipsqueak, you giant-eared cretin!" Katara shouted back angrily

Sokka, actually offended, responds "What did you call me?"

Katara however continued

"A giant-eared cretin! Look at those things! Do herds of animals use them for shade?!" she mocked as she imitated elephant ears towards him.

"You better back off!" he shouted loomingly before whispering to his sister annoyed "seriously back off"

"I will not back off!" she continued " I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are!"

Katsu used all his will power to hold back a snort and expose his position, despite being sweet and seemingly innocent, Katara knew how to rile people up

" That's it! You're going down!" Sokka said getting into a stance

Katara pointed back at him angrily "I'll show you who's boss!" then she dramatically tried to leap in the air with a fist while heroically shouting "Earthbending style!"

The Fire Nation soldiers watched in confusion as nothing happened while the two siblings were bickering with each other

Katara then let out another shout and then finally shouted again "I SAID…..EARTHBENDING STYLE!"

At Katara's shout, Aang finally awakes from his stupor and gasps quietly as he realizes his mistake by missing his cue. The young airbender stopped playing with the butterfly, leaped up, and blasted a strong jet of air into the ventilation duct, suddenly sending the boulder levitating into the air. Yet when the boulder went up, it revealed Momo behind the boulder, who had his arms raised, licking himself.

The soldiers were shocked and surprised and instead of stating the obvious they quickly poined and shouted "That lemur! He's earthbending!"

Katsu let out a slight snicker quietly at the fire nation soldier's stupidity while Katara and Momo each remained in their positions with Katara eying the man in surprise. Sokka, then angrily, waved his arms toward her and shouted, "No you idiot! It's the girl!"

Katsu by then was trying to restrain his laughter despite the gravity of the situation, as the soldier blushed and let out a small "oh" ironically. Sokka stood beside Katara and laid his hands on her shoulders as the boulder fell to the ground with Katara "subdued" waiting patiently with Sokka importantly stating "Ill hold her!" before whispering to Katara something Katsu couldn't hear.

When the guards escorted Katara away, Katsu jumped and slid down from the tree going up behind Aang, Sokka, and Momo as they watched Katara being taken away before she took a final glance back.

Sokka then pulled at his ears and shot back to Momo comically "Momo, you have some big ears!" offending Momo as hunched down and folded his ears cooing in offense

Katsu rolled his eyes and let out a small prayer for Katara to whatever spirit was nearby. Here he was spending his entire life avoiding Fire Nation prisoners and troops and Katara volunteers to go into one to save a friend they just met a day earlier.

* * *

* * *

Soon Katsu, Sokka, and Aang arrived at the dock near the town where Earth Kingdom merchants, peasants, fire nation soldiers, and fishermen were all congested. On the shore, there was a Fire Nation transport vessel where near its post there was a lineup of prisoners being ready to be escorted on the boat. There, they spotted Katara who was wearing a brown, tattered prison garb over her blue Water Tribe outfit and stared glumly downward.

Sokka, Katsu, and Aang wore little sun hats to cover themselves and blend in the crowd. When the barge was just about to leave with Katara, Aang and Sokka began to make their way to Appa. Katsu, on the other hand, had other ideas.

Sokka looked at Katsu suspiciously and called out

"Hurry up! We gotta follow that ship before it sets off!"

Katsu then took off his bow menacingly with a smirk on his face. He took out his modified arrow which had a solid claw perched instead of a normal tip and a sturdy rope tied to it. Playing with it, he gave a look to Sokka with his trademark cocked eyebrow expression

" You guys go on without me…..I know my way around Fire Nation holds and I wanna make sure Katara is ok" then he ran off leaving Aang and Sokka in surprise before they decided to make their way to Appa.

As the Gang split up, Katsu went closer to the dock making his way past the crowd. There was a long dock where Katara and the prisoners were being transported by a cart onto the boat. As the soldiers and cart made their way slowly Katsu quickly shed his hat and looked back. He was hiding behind some boxes and crates which were perched near the shoreline waiting to be shipped somewhere.

He took a look back and when the coast was clear he jumped into the cool water with his quiver and bow strapped tightly to his chest. He took a deep breath of air and then swam into the cool water. Holding his breath and going a few feet under, Katsu kept breast stroking until he saw a dark shadow of the dock and the transport was perched next to appear over him.

Letting a stream of bubbles slowly. He slowly lifted his head out of the water to get some air. The boards were tight but just barely above his head and there he stood swimming right under the steps of the Fire Nation troops marching to the ship.

He then took a big breath and went under the dock once more, this time swimming with more ferocity as the crowd, waves and sounds masked his presence from the Fire Nation troops and prisoners above him.

When he started to see the boat emerge from the water blurrily and then as he approached the ship he held his hand out until he felt the cold metal brush on his fingertips. Emerging one last time under the dock he took a couple breathes of air as he saw he went ahead of the soldiers still marching ahead. Prisoner transports, though quiet, were meticulous and all security was spent securing prisoners and whatever goods were going to be transported to the prison.

Taking another deep breath he submerged himself into the water and swam to the other side of the barge. When he finally was out of distance from the dock, he then emerged from the water and was on the side of transport where the ship was facing the water and not the dock. He swam pushing as much energy as he could until he could finally see the anchor and its chain locked onto the short tightly.

He swam up to the chain and then began to climb slowly onto the boat. When he finally found a solid grip to stand on the massive chain. He leaned his body forward, took his only arrow from his leather quiver, and then cautiously held the arrow tightly.

Balancing himself he turned around and leaned his back onto the ship's metal, his feet finally standing on the chain and no longer in the water and looking at the distance. Catching his breath he looked to the side of the boat where he saw the handrail of the ship's side above him. Taking a deep breath he drew the arrow he was holding, which was an extra sharp tip that was meant to penetrate heavier metal, he drew the arrow which held a sturdy rope, and then taking a deep breath fired it which chucked into the side sharply. He then strapped his bow back onto his back tightly and then held the rope which was locked onto the ship tightly

Holding himself onto the rope he swung himself off the chain he was on and then positioned his body sideways where he held the rope and stood onto the actual metal of the ship where the arrow was perched deep on the outside of the handrail.

He quietly climbed his way up until finally, he saw himself emerge above the ship and onto the ship's left side of the hand rail's edges. Climbing aboard still slightly wet, he quietly took out the arrow jabbed into the ship and cut the rope hanging below the ship quickly. Then remembering the layout of fire nation ships, he quickly saw a door on the transport ship nearby.

Counting a quick prayer and hoping he wouldn't get caught, he opened the unsecured door and went on the ship. Transport ships were smaller than most fire nation fleets and the crew would be on the bridge at the front of the ship and most of the troops would be on the right side overseeing the prisoners and goods processed on board.

Walking into the eerie Fire Nation ship, he made his way to the storage section where the ship had leftover crates, containers, supplies, and for what Katsu was looking for the armory.

As he made his way to the little storage section, Katsu quickly took off his drenched clothes and put on a small fire nation uniform nearby. It was old and a little worn out which was probably why it was discarded but considering the situation, he couldn't be choosy. When he was finally done, he was dressed in the typical soldier uniform most spearmen held and realizing the Fire Navy didn't have many archers, he put his bow behind a set of really old barrels alongside his clothes and quiver nearby into an old crate.

He then put his clothes and bow away and then left the storage room. Making a mental note to sneak the crate he kept his stuff in onto the prison when they arrived. As he left the storage room he walked around looking for an armory until at last, he saw a room with lots of leftover weapons in there. Most of them were spears, swords, and shields nearby and deciding to fit in. He grabbed a spear and a fire nation helmet the spearmen wore and put in on.

Marching with his spear and hat on secured, Katsu walked back outside the deck and went to the back of the ship. By now the prisoners were loaded, the crates were being loaded on the ship. As he heard a noise, he heard the anchor and chain he was on not too long ago being pulled forward and now Katsu realized the ship was finally making its way forward.

As the ship began to move away, Katsu quickly went down below deck and began patrolling the corridor quietly. If any soldier asked what he was doing out here, he could just lie and say it was a quick inspection. He then held a deep breath and began to walk around the corridor he changed out of, his heart beating fast as the adrenaline from swimming and sneaking onboard finally caught up to him. As he looked out the window, he saw the shore leave the distance of his view and let out a prayer for the journey ahead.

* * *

* * *

It was twilight when the boat finally reached the prison. As the crew, prisoners, and soldiers began to depart the boat, Katsu went back inside the storage room where he found the crate he left his bow, clothes, and quiver in and took it out of the corner he kept it.

For the most part, nobody came down to his part of the ship as most of the soldiers were on the dock watching the prisoners and the captain and his crew were on the front bridge of the transport guiding the boat to the prison. He couldn't see much when they were approaching, but it was a big facility that looked almost like a rig of sorts.

Shaking out his thoughts, Katsu waited for an extra-long while until he made sure everybody left the boat. By now it was turning into night time and the sun was setting - when he felt the coast was clear. Katsu left the spear in the room he was in and then grabbed the crate and held it with both hands.

Coming topside again, he gasped as he realized where the boat was perched. It was a giant rig far larger than he imagined, a deep smog surged into his nostrils as he smelled this is where all the coal mined from the nearby villages were refined and processed for all the fuel the Fire Navy consumed.

Taking a nervous breath as he looked around, he was just about to walk onto the deck until he heard a dark "Hey you!" shout from his right.

Trying to hide his nervousness, he looked until he saw a soldier not too older than him patrol his way forward. He looked tired and a little cross and then asked Katsu suspiciously "What are you doing up here so late! What are you taking from the ship?"

Katsu tried to keep his emotions calm, internally he felt like he was going to wet the uniform he stole but tried to keep a solid expression externally. Looking for the rank of the soldier, he tried to play it snarky and let out a sheepish smile

He walked over to him holding the crate and then hushed the guard, who had a surprised look on his face

"Listen" Katsu began

" Don't tell anyone…..but today is my squad leader's birthday and we're throwing him a surprise party tonight! The guys gave me some money to purchase some 'thing' for the dinner tonight"

He then tried to plead with the guard

"Look I know it isn't regulation but he just had his first kid and we wanted to cheer him up on being a new dad….what do you say"

The guard let out a sigh and small smile and then caved

"Oh alright…..but if anyone catches you lot drunk - I didn't see or know any of you!" He warned.

Katsu then let out a little smirk and thanks and quickly walked away, when he thought he was in the clear the guard then barked out a 'wait!'. Katsu internally groaned and meekly looked back

"Yes?" he asked nervously

"Tell the young lt happy birthday from me too will ya?" he said friendly. Katsu let out a sigh of relief and let out and 'of course!' before finally making his way to the brig. It was huge, confusing, and everywhere troops, engineers, and prisoners were all over the place doing their duties. Right now it must be dinner time for the soldiers before it was lights out.

When he finally found a small storage room that was on the far edge of the rig, he left his crate there and then took a spear from the nearby armory. Grabbing it, he walked over to the rig, making his way to the main prison platform.

The guards were perched high and as he went up to the wall most of the guards were, he saw a huge sea of prisoners sitting down eating in nestled groups bending. He was looking for Katara and Haru until finally, he heard a familiar voice shouting from the distance.

When he looked from his view where the voice was coming from, there was Katara was standing in all her glory in front of an entire group of prisoners as guards and even what looked like the nearby warden was watching her curiously

" Earthbenders! You don't know me, but I know of you. Every child in my Water Tribe village was rocked to sleep with stories of the brave Earth Kingdom, and the courageous earthbenders who guard its borders"

By now everyone was staring at her, including Katsu who had a gobsmacked expression. In other prisons, this type of talk would result in …..dire consequences. However, everyone remained silent and listened to her to continue

"Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless. Yes, they have taken away your ability to bend. But they can't take away your courage. And it is your courage they should truly fear! Because it runs deeper than any mine you've been forced to dig, any ocean that keeps you far from home! It is the strength of your hearts that make you who you are. Hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded. The time to fight back is now! I can tell you the Avatar has returned! So remember your courage earthbenders"

Then she let out a giant cry

"Let us FIGHT for our freedom!"

Katsu then got into a stance, wondering how on earth he's gonna shield katara from a possible riot. However his worries were squashed when the prisoners shyly went back to their meal, and the Warden smirked at Katara's failed attempt and walked away, clearly not concerned about her behavior. Letting out a sigh of relief, he finally walked away and began making rounds around the rig, mentally tracking all the corners and familiarizing its locations and areas for everyone.

He continued walking around all evening, avoiding nearby soldiers and making himself seem like he was on patrol until finally, night came.

* * *

* * *

It was midnight almost when Katsu stood silently perched on the edge of the rig. He was exhausted, he had bags under his eyes and he hadn't slept for most of the night. He found out where Katara was being kept but decided to wait until Aang and Sokka arrived.

Suddenly right on cue, Appa appeared magically from the sky, and just as Aang was about to jump on board and airbend at poor Katsu he quickly shouted "Wait! Wait! Wait! Don't bend it's me!" he hissed

"Katsu?" asked Aang and Sokka surprised " Why are you in a Fire Nation uniform?" They asked

He sighed and answered "I snuck on board to keep on eye Katara and see what type of prison this might be, so far this is the refinery where they process all the coal, and its managed by Earthbenders. The warden is strict but a little lazy unless you get on his bad side"

"Do you know where Katara is?" asked Aang

"Yes, follow me!" whispered Katsu, as the two quickly ran around the quiet deck.

When they finally reached a little room, there Katara lay in a small cot sleeping restfully. Aang quickly walked over and shook her and before Katara could say something in surprise, Aang quickly shushed her and gestured her to follow them, Katara noticing Katsu under the disguise he was in.

When they finally made it back outside near Appa, Katsu by then had grabbed the crate where he hid his stuff along the way and grabbed his bow from the crate and the arrows he left behind on Appa as Sokka quickly began to question and ask Katara the status on their situation

"Your twelve hours are up; where's Haru? We've gotta get outta here!"

"I can't," she responded

" We don't have much time. There are guards everywhere. Get on!" Sokka exclaimed quietly

"Katara, what's wrong?" asked Aang, Katsu himself looking surprised at her

"I'm not leaving," she said determined "I'm not giving up on these people."

Sokka, Katsu, and Aang looked at her in shock as Sokka questioned her

"What do you mean you're not leaving!?"

"We can't abandon these people! There has to be a way to help them," she replied

Katsu tried to reason with her " Look Katara, I ADMIRE your will to help them, but you were lucky when after the stunt alone the warden didn't have you thrown overboard!"

"What?!" questioned Sokka but Katara cut back

"Look you were the one who agreed to come onto the prison with me first, you know and I know that leaving all these people here under the fire nation isn't right!"

Katsu sighed and nodded, it may be crazy, but nobody deserved to spend the rest of their days on a crummy rig like this just because of who they were. Aang chiming in support

"Maybe she's right guys…... What do you say, Sokka?"

"I say you're both crazy!" he shouted before they all ducked under a searchlight "Last chance! We need to leave, now!"

"No!' Katara answered stubbornly

Sokka shook his head in dismay as he sighed in exasperation

" I hate when you get like this. Come on, we better hide."

Katsu then made a motion for them to follow him, his arrow and bows strapped tightly to his fire nation uniform, while Aang told Appa to fly away. The group making their way to the storage room where Katsu hid his stuff earlier.

When they got to the room, Katsu led them in and then locked the door behind them. Taking off the helmet finally and letting his head breathe again. They all sat down as Momo flew into a nearby crate and rested there.

Katsu tried to reason

"Look guys, this ship is all metal, its heavy and there are guards everywhere - the Warden maybe a little lazy as I said earlier but I dunno how to start a riot onto a place like this"

"Well, we don't have much time. What are we gonna do?" sighed Sokka

"I wish I knew how to make a hurricane!" Aang added in thought, earning two glares from the water tribe siblings and an amused snort from Katsu

"The warden would run away and we'd steal his keys!" Aang explained cheerfully

Katsu laughed and laid his head back at the absurdity of the planned as Sokka tried to reason some logic to Aang

"Wouldn't he just take his keys with him?" questioned Sokka

"I'm just tossing ideas around!" answered the young airbender meekly

"I tried talking the earthbenders into fighting back but, it didn't work! If there was just a way to help them help themselves." Katara thought deeply

"For that, they'd need some kind of earth or some rock. Something they can bend." Sokka added on

Katsu then shook his head and kept silent, he was about to doze off as he hasn't had much sleep since the night before they left and lay his head on a crate resting his eyes

"But this entire place is made of metal!" Katara said exasperated

Just then Katsu's head shot up and before he was about to say anything, Aang beat him to the punch

"No, it's not." pointing to the smokestacks puffing outside "Look at the smoke! I bet they're burning coal….in other words, earth."

The Gang then all looked to each other, a plan formulating as Katsu swore he saw a glint shine in Sokka's blue eyes as he began to think into overdrive. Somehow...it looks like they'd just might be able to leave this rig soon.

* * *

* * *

By now, dawn began to appear and the sun began to rise. The Gaang had split up and made their way with Aang running out to do his part of the plan while Katsu, Sokka, and Katara made their way to a nearby air vent. He was tired but the adrenaline was rushing through him like crazy, he looked back as he took out his bow and began holding to his side in case somebody crept on them.

" It's almost dawn. We're running out of time! You sure this is gonna work?" asked Katara nervously

"It should. These vents reminded me of our little trick back at the village. We're gonna do the same thing, but on a much bigger scale."

He then began to explain further as Katsu looked at him impressed

" There's a huge deposit of coal at the base of the silo. And the whole system is ventilated. Aang closed off all the vents except one. When he does his airbending the coal only has one place to go, right back here."

Before he could continue, the same guard that caught Katsu earlier yesterday barked at them. Katsu immediately drew an arrow and aimed at the Fire Nation soldier menacingly

"There's the intruder! And look - there's the imposter I was looking for, there wasn't any birthday registered yesterday!"

Sokka and Katara looked at Katsu confused, as Katsu muttered "not important". By now there was a whole squad of soldiers surrounding them with spears as Earth Kingdom prisoners began watching with nervousness.

Sokka drew his boomerang "Stay back! I'm warning you!" he barked as he draws his back to Katara with Katsu drawing two more arrows next to the one he already held. An older man soon appeared and tried to plead with Katara

"Katara, stop! You can't win this fight!" he pleaded

Soon the Warden appeared with the same sneer he had on yesterday and agreed

" Listen to him well, child. You're one mistake away from dying where you stand." he drawled.

Katsu let out a spit in disgust as he was one step away from shooting, but before anything could happen a sudden rush of air fills their ears as the facility shakes. The ventilation shaft bursting off its hinges as an immense blast of coal soared into the air, crashing down into a gathered pile. Everyone present was silent, staring in stark surprise at this turn of event as Aang leaped out from the barren ventilation shaft, landing atop the coal pile and coughing, covered in soot and dirt. Then Katara grabbed a lump of coal and looked to the earth benders again.

"Here's your chance, earthbenders! Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!" she cried

However, as Katsu saw Haru finally emerge, the same old man throws his hand up, bracing his Haru's chest to halt his advance. Katsu realized this must be Haru's father that they spoke of earlier in the village.

The warden on the other hand, just laughed at the group as the Earthbenders still refused to move

"Foolish girl" he began, "You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago."

Katara then saw the prisoners forlorn faces and began to realize their predicament.

"Oh, but you still believe in them. How sweet. They're a waste of your energy little girl. You failed" he sneered as he backed away by turning to take leave of the facility. As he does so, a single piece of coal sailed through the air and pelted the back of his head. Outraged, the warden spun back to see who dared to attack him. There, Haru stood defiantly levitating three pieces of coal above his hand. The warden responded by sending a blast of fire toward Haru, but the fire was blocked, as Haru's father raised a wall of coal in his defense.

Soon the guards began to rush out and line up to reinforce, a battle emerging to brew, "Show no mercy!" he cried as Fire Nation benders began to pelt fire towards them viciously. The Earthbenders, however, worked together and hauled a massive load of the wall of coal they had earlier at the soldiers

"For the Earth Kingdom…..., attack!" Haru's father cried

They then slammed the coal to the ground with chunks of rock assault the guards. The battle immediately flares, and prisoners ducking blasts of fire countered with fists of coal. Katara and Aang chase after Sokka as he snaps soldiers' spears in two with his boomerang, tossing the broken shafts to Momo overhead, as the lemur continues to collect other pieces of broken spears that are thrown up to him. Katsu by now was rapidly firing arrows precisely at the Fire Benders and Soldiers, he didn't want to wound or kill them seriously, so with precision, he loaded five arrows and shot at their helmets center knocking them out from the impact instantly.

Haru and his father then worked in unison to compress a pile of gathered coal into one lump and slung it through the doors to make way for their escape. The guards on top falling from the impact while Katsu provided cover fire for them

"Get to the ships! We'll hold them off!" cried Haru's father

The Warden immediately tried to rally some troops behind him and began blasting at them

"Do not let them escape!" he barked, as Aang began bending an air funnel and holds it between his hands, he then shouted to Katara and Sokka while Katsu was busy firing arrows at the soldier to let the rest of the prisoners leave.

Soon Katara and Sokka dropped heaps of coal into Aang's air funnel, firing the material rapidly at the warden and his fellow benders, knocking them to the ground. Following this, Haru's father and two other earthbenders work together to lift coal beneath these adversaries, moving them away from the rig and over the ocean.

"No, please! I can't swim!" pleaded the Warden

"Don't worry. I hear cowards float" sneered Haru's father as he bent forward and dropped them all to the water. The battle finally ends, as Katsu pants and turns back looking at the scene of destruction, chaos as he and the rest of their group make their way to the nearby boats. The rebellion succeeded.

* * *

* * *

Soon they were all on the barge Katsu was on earlier yesterday, they were victorious and were heading back to the mainline. By now Haru and Haru's father, Tyro, who had finally introduced himself to Katsu who was dressed in the Fire Nation garb, still approached Katara and Katsu, who were on deck. Katsu was by now trying all he could to stay awake after the mass battle that overtook, but stood straight when Tyro and Haru arrived.

"I want to thank you both for saving me. For saving us." Haru said

"All it took was a little coal" Katara answered sheepishly, however, Haru shook his head

"It wasn't the coal, Katara. It was you" Haru said and Katata blushed sheepishly. Katsu letting off an awkward cough, hating to ruin their little moment, then Haru turned to face him

"I have to admit….you got a lot of guts for being able to sneak onto a ship, smuggle a bow like that, trick the fire nation and fight the way you did"

Now it was Katsu's turn to blush

" I grew up around these parts for years….never thought in my life I'd ever do something like this but…..for once it feels nice to know I did something right for once," he said

Then Tyro chimed in and spoke to Katara

"Thank you for helping me find my courage, Katara of the Water Tribe. My family and everyone here owes you much"

Katara then smiled under the praise and then asked "So, I guess you're going home now"

Tyro then looked at her with a determined look in his face "Yes. To take back my village" then he looked to the barges nearby and bellowed his voice for them all to hear "To take back all of our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot on our land!" The crowd cheered at Tyro's bravado and Katsu for the first time his life felt super proud, finally feeling a sense of deep purpose in life.

Haru then turned to Katara

"Come with us. Both of you" he pleaded with them

"I can't" Katara answered for them "Your mission is to take back your home. Ours is to get Aang to the North Pole" The group gazing over to over the rail to see Momo join Aang atop Appa's head, floating in the ocean

"That's him, isn't it?" Haru asked as Katsu snorted at Aang's tactics as the younger airbender airbending an encased piece of coal while Momo jumped into his lap. He then turned to Katara specifically, Katsu leaning back against the rail giving the two of them some space

"Katara, thank you for bringing my father back to me. I never thought I'd see him again. I only wish there was some way …" he said ominously

" I know…." she began then she reached for her necklace but began to panic realizing its not there "My mother's necklace! It's gone!"

* * *

* * *

There back on the now trashed prison rig, a banished fire nation prince stood alone facing the sunset amid coal lying sparsely on the deck. He seized a necklace in his fingers, lifting it to stare at it grimly, as he held with him a certain arrow he has only seen once before tied with a sturdy rope between it.

Whatever had happened here….the arrows and the waterbender's necklace confirmed that the Avatar was here….and he has a new friend.

* * *

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can PLEASE submit likes, reviews and send it over to anyone. I'd greatly appreciate it! I'm still looking for a BETA so if anyone is interested. Please let me know!
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> E.M

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaand there you have it folks, I always wanted to share my little story of Katsu and with all that's going on finally decided to make it happen. This is my first Avatar fanfiction and I truly wrote this from the bottom of my heart. Any reviews, comments, insults, share for this will mean the absolute world to me and if anyone is offering to be a Beta - please feel free to contact me!
> 
> Until Next Time!
> 
> E.M


End file.
